Israel quits several UN agencies, citing inefficiency

Israel has announced its withdrawal from a number of United Nations agencies and affiliated organizations, citing what it describes as persistent anti-Israel bias and ineffective bureaucracy.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on January 13 that the decision takes effect immediately and applies to several UN bodies, including the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, UN Women, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the UN Alliance of Civilizations, UN Energy, and the Global Forum on Migration and Development, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

In a statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it was ending cooperation with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were included in a UN “blacklist” in the agency’s annual report on children in armed conflict. The list also included Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Israel has long been critical of several UN bodies, most notably the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Israeli officials accuse UNRWA of maintaining close ties with Hamas and promoting anti-Israel incitement in its educational materials—allegations the agency has repeatedly denied.

Israeli authorities have already banned UNRWA from operating within Israeli territory and have significantly restricted its activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, citing what they describe as the agency’s entrenched links to terrorist organizations.

The move comes amid a broader trend of disengagement from multilateral institutions. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from 66 international organizations and treaties, approximately half of which are affiliated with the United Nations, arguing that they act “contrary to the interests of the United States.”

By Khagan Isayev